Nation-Building

KLIATT - KLIATT Review

These well-organized new volumes from the Opposing Viewpoints series on provocative current topics will be valuable to students for debates and research papers. North & South Korea asks whether North Korea poses a serious threat, which policies toward it are best, and which will best serve South Korea, and democracy and human rights in North and South Korea. Similarly, articles in National Security look at the most serious threats, how the US should deal with threatening nations, whether US Homeland Security measures are effectively countering terrorism, and how US national security can be improved. Discrimination considers whether discrimination exists in the US, how it impacts American society, if affirmative action is an effective remedy, and the impact of the government on discrimination. Nation Building debates whether nation-building is justified, whether it can combat terrorism, whether it can work in Iraq, and whether it can succeed in the 21st century. Excerpts from recent articles by spokespeople on different sides of the issues are provided, with authors ranging from former government officials like Donald Rumsfeld to journalists and scholars. In each book, each author is introduced with a brief paragraph, followed by questions to consider when reading the article. Chapter prefaces provide helpful background, and boxed quotes, tables and a cartoon or two offer further information and commentary. Supplemental periodical bibliographies follow each chapter, while appendices offer further bibliographies, more questions for discussion, and an annotated list of organizations to contact. Age Range: Ages 15 to adult. REVIEWER: Paula Rohrlick (Vol.42, No. 1)